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The chemical reactions between trace moisture and raw Cd materials and their effect on the adhesion phenomenon during Cd-based crystal growth were investigated.

At present, the existing influence evaluation algorithms often ignore network structure attributes, user interests and the time-varying propagation characteristics of influence. To address these issues, this work comprehensively discusses users’ own influence, weighted indicators, users’ interaction influence and the similarity between user interests and topics, thus proposing a dynamic user influence ranking algorithm called UWUSRank. First, we determine the user’s own basic influence based on their activity, authentication information and blog response. This improves the problem of poor objectivity of initial value on user influence evaluation when using PageRank to calculate user influence. Next, this paper mines users’ interaction influence by introducing the propagation network properties of Weibo (a Twitter-like service in China) information and scientifically quantifies the contribution value of followers’ influence to the users they follow according to different interaction influences, thereby solving the drawback of equal value transfer of followers’ influence. Additionally, we analyze the relevance of users’ personalized interest preferences and topic content and realize real-time monitoring of users’ influence at various time periods during the process of public opinion dissemination. Finally, we conduct experiments by extracting real Weibo topic data to verify the effectiveness of introducing each attribute of users’ own influence, interaction timeliness and interest similarity. Compared to TwitterRank, PageRank and FansRank, the results show that the UWUSRank algorithm improves the rationality of user ranking by 9.3%, 14.2%, and 16.7%, respectively, which proves the practicality of the UWUSRank algorithm. This approach can serve as a guide for research on user mining, information transmission methods, and public opinion tracking in social network-related areas.

SummaryThe purpose of this retrospective study was to optimize the transplantation strategy for women of advanced maternal age to achieve live births within the shortest time. Data were collected from patients older than 40 years who underwent assisted reproductive therapy at our centre from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2019. In total, 1023 cases of fresh cleavage embryo transfer (CET) cycles, 280 cases of frozen–thawed blastocyst transfer (FBT) cycles, and 26 cases of frozen–thawed CET (FCET) cycles were included. The main outcome was the live birth rate (LBR). The secondary outcomes were the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and neonatal outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to adjust for confounding factors. The blastocyst formation rate of patients older than 40 years was 23.5%, the freezing cycle rate was 19.8%, and the fresh-embryo transfer rate was 83.0%. The implantation rate, CPR, and LBR were significantly different among the CET, FCET, and FBT groups. There were no significant differences in multiple pregnancies and abortion rates among the groups, and neonatal outcomes were similar. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that, compared with the CET group, LBR did not increase in the FCET group, whereas LBR increased in the FBT group. For patients older than 40 years when having approximately eight embryos after fertilization, blastocyst transfer can be considered after fully discussing the advantages and disadvantages of blastocyst culture. Alternatively, CET can be performed first, followed by FBT if the cleavage embryo transfer is unsuccessful.

Organic metal halide perovskite materials have excellent photoelectric properties, and the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has increased from 3.8% to more than 25%. In the development of PSCs, innovative architectures were being proposed constantly. However, the use of the electron transport layer (ETL) and hole transport layer (HTL) increases manufacturing costs and process complexity. Perovskite material has ambipolar charge transport characteristics, so it could functionalize as both the optical absorption layer and carrier transport layer (CTL). In this review, we analyzed the P/N-type perovskite materials, perovskite P-N homojunction solar cells, and carrier transport layers-free (CTLs-free) devices. Finally, we proposed some innovative device architectures. We hoped that this mini review could pave way for the simplification of the architectures, promote the preparation of the low-cost and high-efficiency devices, and accelerate the commercialization of the PSCs.

Background: Studies have shown that uric acid (UA) crystals can induce immune responses in the body; however, the relationship between soluble UA and immune responses remains unknown. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed and compared peripheral blood immune cells and cytokine levels in healthy individuals with high or normal serum uric acid (SUA) levels. We used soluble UA to stimulate peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro and examined lymphocyte subset counts and activation. Results: The number of immune cells in healthy individuals with high SUA levels increased, with the most obvious increase being observed in lymphocytes, mainly in CD4+ T cells. Lymphocyte elevation was more pronounced in women, who showed increased CD19+ B cell counts. Concomitantly, IL-4 and IL-10 levels significantly increased in healthy individuals with high SUA levels. In vitro, soluble UA promoted the proliferation and activation of CD4+ T and CD19+ B cells. Conclusions: Our study revealed that elevated soluble UA levels may cause peripheral lymphocytes counts increase and make healthy subjects in a Th2-dominant immune status.

A simplified friction spot joining (FSpJ) technique was developed to join AA5052 and short glass fiber-reinforced polyphenylene sulfide (GF-PPS) sheets. A full factorial design of experiments and analysis of variance were carried out to understand the influence of surface condition and process parameters on the joining process and mechanical strength of such joints. A maximum peak load as high as 4426.5 N was obtained. Examination of microstructures and fracture surfaces of the joints revealed important information about FSpJ joints. A microscopic serrated bonding interface at the faying interface was formed at the center of the bond, which renders a desirable bonding, together with the macroscopic interlocking produced by the interpenetration of aluminum and GF-PPS. Examination of fractured joints shows that there are two distinctive areas on a faying interface: a plastic deformation zone and a transition zone. A large number of dimples and glass fibers around these dimples were observed in fractured joints made using treated Al and GF-PPS around the center of the faying interface, which is beneficial to the bonding strength.

ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the relationship between serum calcium concentration and peripheral lymphocyte status/Th1/Th2 cytokine levels in SLE patients, and the effect of glucocorticoids (GCs) on the calcium concentration and immune cell activation.MethodsThe peripheral blood TBNK lymphocyte subsets and Th1/Th2 cytokines in SLE patients with low or normal serum calcium concentration and healthy people were analyzed and compared retrospectively. Peripheral white blood cells (PWBCs) from SLE patients or healthy people were stimulated with PMA or GCs in vitro to test their extracellular calcium concentration and CD8+ T cell activation.ResultsThe percentages of CD8+ T in SLE patients increased, but the increase of the number of CD8+ T cells only occurred in the SLE patients with low serum calcium concentration, and the number of CD45hiCD8+ T cells also increased, suggesting that SLE patients with hypocalcemia tend to possess an enhanced cellular immunity. The results of Th1/Th2 cytokines in peripheral blood showed that the levels of serum IL-2, IL-10, IL-6 and IFN-γ in SLE patients with hypocalcemia were significantly increased. Although the serum levels of TNF-α in SLE patients were –similar to that in healthy people, it was significantly higher than that in SLE patients with normal serum calcium. When comparing the results of Th1/Th2 cytokines in two times of one patient, the serum levels of TNF-α in SLE patients increased while serum calcium levels decreased. The in vitro experiments showed that the decrease of serum calcium concentration in SLE patients was affected by the immune cell activation and the application of GCs, but GCs did not promote the immune cell activation.ConclusionsLow serum calcium may make SLE patients in an enhanced cellular immune status and GCs aggravates the decrease of serum calcium levels but has no role on the immune cell activation. It suggests that hypocalcemia possibly promotes the disease activity of SLE patient, which should be paid attention to clinically.

Background Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is used in assisted reproductive technology (ART) laboratories. However, there is no consensus regarding the precise time intervals within ICSI cycles [oocyte pick up (OPU), oocyte denudation (DN), and ICSI], and results are inconsistent and contradictory. Thus, we aim to evaluate whether there is a concordance regarding the time intervals used in different laboratories and a concrete time that gives better laboratory and reproductive results. Methods A systematic review of the literature until July 25, 2020, was performed with the keywords “Oocyte Denudation/Denudation/Oocyte,” “Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection/ICSI,” “Oocyte/Oocyte maturation/ cumulus,” and “Cumulus removal/ removal.” Articles and abstracts in English and involving human subjects referring to the effects of oocyte DN time on embryo development and clinical outcomes were included. Results Of the 294 evaluated articles, 24 (including 20 full articles and 4 abstracts) were included in this review. Eighteen studies analysed the effect of OPU-DN time on embryo development and clinical outcomes. Most of these studies concluded that OPU-DN time did not influence ICSI outcomes, but some suggested that oocytes should be incubated for a short time before DN to improve oocyte maturity and enhance ICSI outcomes. In addition to reports on positive or negligible effects, adverse effects were reported in 12 studies on DN-ICSI timing. Neither OPU-DN nor DN-ICSI time could improve live birth rate. Conclusions Oocytes should be pre-incubated for a short duration (preferably

Background The application of PD-1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) helps to treat non-small cell lung cancer, but acquired resistance has emerged in clinical practice. We tested the hypothesis that acquired resistance of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy is linked to death and exhaustion of activated T and NK cell. Methods The co-culture system of HCC827 cells and peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was established to evaluate the effect of PD-1 mAb on the death rate and exhaustion of T and NK cell. The predisposing role of CD69 for death and exhaustion was validated by using PHA-activated PBMCs of CD69low NSCLC patients. The 10-colour/three laser flow cytometer was used to test related markers for cell activation, death and exhaustion. Results We found that PD-1 mAb increase the death and exhaustion of T cells and NK cells in a dose-dependent way when PBMCs from NSCLC patients whose the percentages of CD69+ cells in peripheral blood T cells were greater than 5% (CD69high NSCLC patients). By analyzing PBMCs from healthy volunteers and CD69low NSCLC patients, we found that T cells and NK cells can be induced to die by PD-1 mAb after PHA activation, and had a tendency to raise the rate of cell exhaustion. Conclusions Our findings imply that increased death and exhaustion of CD69high T cells and NK cells are associated with ineffective anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in lung cancer. The CD69 expression of T cells and NK cells may be developed as a potential predictor for acquired resistance of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. These data may provide ideas to guide individualized medication of PD-1 mAb in NSCLC patients.

Blue phosphorescent tetradentate pyridyl–carbolinyl Pt(II) complexes, Pt(ppzOclpy-Me), Pt(ppzOclpy-iPr), and Pt(ppzOclpy-mesi), were purposefully synthesized and investigated with their photophysic...

In this report, a solution-processable cohost system incorporating N,N'-di(naphtalene-1-yl)-N,N'-diphenylbenzidine (NPB) and Csp3-annulated phenylquinoline derivatives, including spiro[indeno[1,2-b]quinoline-11,8'-indolo[3,2,1-de]acridine] (IAIQ), 10-phenyl-10H-spiro[acridine-9,11'-indeno[1,2-b]quinoline] (PAIQ) and 3,3'-(11H-indeno[1,2-b]quinoline-11,11-diyl)bis(N-phenyl-N-(m-tolyl)aniline) (m-TPA-DPIQ), is developed for highly efficient saturated red phosphorescent organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). IAIQ, PAIQ, and m-TPA-DPIQ, designed with the increase of molecular flexibility, are systematically investigated. Solution-processable devices based on the efficient phosphorescent emitter bis[2-(3,5-dimethylphenyl)isoquinolinato](2,8-dimethyl-4,6-nonanedionato)Iridium [Ir(mpiq)2divm] are successfully fabricated, and give electroluminescent peaks at 634-636 nm with Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage coordinates of (0.70, 0.30). Under optimized conditions, the devices incorporating IAIQ, PAIQ, and m-TPA-DPIQ exhibit high external quantum efficiency with the maximum value at 25.1%, 23.4%, and 23.3%, respectively, and all exceeding 18% at the luminance of 1000 cd/m2. In application, the supersaturated red devices with excellent performance could facilitate the development of wet-made displays. The newly developed Csp3-annulated host materials with their excitonic properties also showoff the tactic to construct cohost system for high-quality phosphorescent OLEDs.

New three-dimensional non-fullerene small molecule acceptors were synthesized with the structure of a spiro core, 4,4′-spirobi[cyclopenta[2,1-b;3,4-b′]dithiophene] (SCPDT) linked with S/Se fused perylene diimides (PDIs). The three-dimensional structure suppresses the aggregation of PDIs and the formation of excessively large crystalline domains. The well-conjugated structure and electron-rich property of the spiro core give rise to high electron mobility, making for more balanced carrier transport. The introduction of S/Se aromatic rings leads to appropriate energy levels and more twisted molecular configurations. Organic solar cells based on the PBDB-T-S:SCPDT-PDI4-S bulk heterojunction exhibit a high power conversion efficiency of 6.95% along with a high Voc of 1.00 V, a Jsc of 11.72 mA cm−2 and a fill factor of 59.27%.

ObjectiveTo assess the effect of antiandrogenic pretreatment using combined oral contraceptives (COCs) before ovulation induction in infertile patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with hyperandrogenism.DesignProspective, randomized open-labeled cohort studySettingMulticenterPatientsPCOS patients with hyperandrogenism and requiring infertility treatmentsInterventionsRandomization to direct ovulation induction of letrozole (letrozole group) or ethinylestradiol/cyproterone acetate (EE/CPA) for 3 months and subsequent letrozole-induced ovulation (EE/CPA+ letrozole group). The maximum number of ovulation induction cycle was three to four.Main Outcome MeasuresOvulation rate, conception rate, ongoing pregnancy rate, and live birth rate were the main outcomes of the study.ResultsThere were no significant differences in the cumulative ovulation, conception, ongoing pregnancy, and live birth rates between the letrozole and EE/CPA+ letrozole groups (cumulative ovulation: 206/254 [81.10%] vs. 169/205 [82.44%], risk ratio [RR]= 1.09 [0.68,1.76], P=0.713; conception: 44/90 [48.89%] vs. 42/76 [55.26%], RR= 1.29 [0.70,2.38], P=0.413; ongoing pregnancy: 33/90 [36.67%] vs. 33/76 [43.42%], RR=1.33 [0.71,2.47], P=0.376; and live birth: 32/90 [35.56%] vs. 31/76 [40.79%], RR=1.25 [0.67, 2.34], P=0.489).ConclusionsThe results of this study showed that COC pretreatment was not superior to direct letrozole-induced ovulation therapy in improving ovulation and pregnancy results in women with PCOS. There is no benefit to perform antiandrogenic therapy before ovulation induction in patients with PCOS in clinical practice.Clinical Trial Registrationwww.clinicaltrials.gov, identifier ChiCTR1900022839

The secondary kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) of red phosphorescent Ir(III) complexes and the corresponding devices have been investigated. The selective deuterated red emitters show negligible influence on the luminescent spectra, but have positive effects on the quantum efficiencies and stabilities in the devices. As secondary KIEs predicted, the photolysis coinciding with the electrolysis of the deuterated complexes in the devices, measured via decreasing of luminescent intensity, are reduced in rate. An about 33% increase of the device working lifetime could be readily obtained with the strategy of selective deuteration on the emitter complexes. The findings demonstrate the importance of the isotopic effect on the performance improvement of organic light emitting devices and will also trigger the study on organic optoelectronic materials via isotopic tools.

During controlled ovarian stimulation, the LH rising before triggering can lead to follicular luteinizations. However, LH can be suppressed immediately and no progesterone elevation with GnRH antagonist. This study retrospectively compared fresh IVF/ICSI cycle outcomes in antagonist protocols between the group with and the group without a premature LH surge. Logistic regression models were fitted to reduce the relevant confounders. Compared between premature LH surge group and control group, the implantation rates were 12.9% (30/233) vs 25.0% (141/536)

Findings regarding the relationship between smooth endoplasmic reticulum clusters (SERCs) in oocytes and blastocyst development have been conflicting. In this study, the effects of SERCs on blastocyst quality and the speed of blastocyst development were evaluated. Patients who received intracytoplasmic sperm injections (ICSI) at our reproductive center from 2016 to 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. SERC (+) oocytes (n = 217) and SERC (–) oocytes (n = 822), as well as SERC (+) cycles (n = 146) and SERC (–) cycles (n = 1,951) were compared. There was no significant difference in embryological, clinical, and neonatal outcomes between the SERC (+) and SERC (–) cycles. The fertilization rate (73.9%), good quality blastocyst rate (26.7%) and the speed of blastocyst development (44.4%) were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in SERC (+) oocytes than in unaffected counterparts (86.2%, 44.1% and 63.4%, respectively). Furthermore, the proportion of blastocysts with trophectoderm (TE) grade C was significantly higher in the SERC (+) oocyte group than in the SERC (–) oocyte group (73.3 vs. 55.9%, P < 0.05). After adjusting for age, years of infertility, endometriosis, stimulation protocols (GnRHa), and male infertility, multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of SERCs in the oocytes significantly affected the speed of blastocyst development (odds ratio, 2.812; 95% CI, 1.257–6.292; P = 0.012). These findings suggest that the presence of SERCs in oocytes may negatively affect blastocyst quality and the speed of blastocyst development.

We aimed to investigate the relationship between testosterone (T) levels and pregnancy outcomes in patients with tubal or male infertility at different times during in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. Patients with tubal or male infertility and normal androgen levels undergoing IVF/ICSI were consecutively recruited. We performed a longitudinal analysis of T levels at three time points (i.e., T0: baseline, T1: trigger day, and T2: day after the trigger day) in three groups with different pregnancy outcomes (i.e., group 1: no pregnancy; group 2: clinical pregnancy but no live birth; and group 3: live birth) as repeated measurement data using linear mixed-effects models. We also plotted fitted curves depicting the relationship between T levels and a number of oocytes retrieved at different time points and identified the inflection points of the curves. In total, 3,012 patients were recruited. Groups 1 and 3 had improvements in T levels at the three time points. After refitting, the slope in group 3 was significantly higher than that in group 1 (P = 0.000). Curves that reflected the association between T levels and numbers of retrieved oocytes presented an upward trend before a certain inflection point, after which the curves had no obvious changes or fell with increasing T levels. The inflection points for T0, T1, and T2 were calculated as 0.45, 0.94, and 1.09, respectively. A faster upward trend in T levels might be associated with better pregnancy outcomes. Within a range lower than a T level inflection point, more oocytes and embryos could be obtained with increasing T levels.

Objective Researchers have revealed the combined functions of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNA (miRNAs) in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This study aimed to understand the role of nuclear-enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) and miR-381 involving insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) in PCOS. Methods PCOS rat model was established by dehydroepiandrosterone induction. NEAT1, miR-381 and IGF1 expression in ovarian granulosa cells of PCOS patients and ovarian tissues of PCOS rats were tested. Bioinformatics website and dual luciferase reporter gene assay were utilized to verify the relationship between NEAT1 and miR-381 and that between miR-381 and IGF1. Levels of sex hormone, pathological changes and ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis in ovarian tissues of PCOS rats were detected. Ovarian granulosa cell proliferation and apoptosis were analyzed in vitro. Results NEAT1 and IGF1 expression increased while miR-381 expression decreased in the ovarian granulosa cells of patients with PCOS and the ovarian tissues of PCOS rats. In in vivo experiments, interference with NEAT1 improved the levels of sex hormones, alleviated pathological changes and suppressed ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis in the ovarian tissues of PCOS rats. In in vitro cell experiments, interference with NEAT1 suppressed apoptosis and enhanced cell proliferation of ovarian granulosa cells. NEAT1 interference-mediated effect would be reversed by up-regulating miR-381. NEAT1 acted as a ceRNA to adsorb miR-381 to target IGF1. Overexpression of IGF1 reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-381 on ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis. Conclusion Interference with NEAT1 increases miR-381 and reduces IGF1 levels, effectively improving the levels of sex hormones and reducing the pathological damage of ovarian tissue in rats with PCOS.

Three Pt(II) complexes, Pt(czpyOczpy), Pt(czpyOczpy-Me), and Pt(czpyOczpy-OMe), are designed to elucidate the inherent relationship between electronically excited-state and photo- and electroluminescent properties. These complexes showed a blue-shifted phosphorescence with a narrowing spectral profile, which are interrelated with the variation of T1 states from the 3MLCT, hybridized 3(MLCT/LC) to 3LC transition. This change is ascribed to the destabilization of LUMO energy levels on the pyridinyl site, leading to more electron distribution on the carbazolide unit in T1. Moreover, the solution-processed device of Pt(czpyOczpy-OMe), featuring a 3LC transition, shows the best color purity of blue light. Compared to the device of Pt(czpyOczpy) with 3MLCT character, the device of Pt(czpyOczpy-Me) with hybridized 3(MLCT/LC) exhibits improved color purity and external quantum efficiency (10.2%) at a luminance of 1000 cd/m2. Therefore, this work gives a mechanistic interpretation of the phosphorescent properties of tetradentate Pt(II) complexes derived from the manageable lowest triplet excited states.

In this paper, a novel sliding mode extremum seeking control (SMESC) scheme is proposed to improve the performance of the classic SMESC. In this scheme, the twisting sliding mode is employed to all...

Solar cells based on organic-inorganic hybrid lead-halide perovskites are very promising because of their high performance and solution process feasibility. Elemental engineering on perovskite composition is a facile path to obtain high-quality crystals for efficient and stable solar cells. It was found that partially substituting I- with Cl- in the perovskite precursor promoted crystal growth, with the grain size larger than the layer thickness, and facilitated the generation of a self-passivation layer of PbI2. Whereas the residual Cl- ions were suspected to diffuse to the hole-transport layer consisting of ubiquitously spiro-OMeTAD, the formation of highly bounded ionic pairing of Cl- with the oxidized state of spiro-OMeTAD led to insufficient charge extraction and severely reversible performance degradation. This issue was effectively alleviated upon Br- doping owing to the generation of Pb-Br bonds in the lattice that strengthened the phase stability by improving the binding energy between each unit. The binary halide (Br-/Cl-)-doped perovskites resulted in a champion power conversion efficiency of 20.2% with improved long-term storage stability.

A series of tetradentate Pt(II) complexes featuring narrow emission spectra have been systematically exploited. The lowest excited states of the molecules can experience delocalized spin transitions during intersystem crossing, leading to local 3ππ* transitions with narrow emission spectra. We found that the photophysical properties expressed by decay lifetimes, radiative decay rates and full width at half maximum (FWHM) values in the spectra correspond to the configurational ratio of the local 3ππ* components, which could be regulated upon structure modification and environmental confinement. Photoluminescent data analysis with zero-field splitting of less than 14 cm−1 stresses the important role of the 3ππ* transitions. Pt(ppzOczpy-4m), simply modified by adding methyl to a Pt(ppzOczpy) frame, gives a 92% photoluminescent yield in dichloromethane and a narrow phosphorescent emission spectrum with a FWHM of 25 nm in the blue region. In application, solution processed deep-blue organic light-emitting devices based on Pt(ppzOczpy-4m) achieve a high maximum external quantum efficiency (EQEmax) of 19.5% with Commission Internationale de L’Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.159, 0.166) and 11.9% EQEmax with optimal CIE coordinates of (0.154, 0.130).

Pyrolyzed carbon such as biochar and activated carbon could influence the methanogenesis in paddy soil, which is an important process controlling methane emission. Different electrochemical properties of pyrolyzed carbon may be involved in methanogenesis, such as conductivity and redox activity. However, their different roles have not been thoroughly illustrated before. In this study, we identified the roles of pyrolyzed carbon redox property and electron conductivity in methanogenesis with ethanol as a substrate, by comparing pyrolyzed carbon samples with sequential change of electrochemical properties. Right after the addition, pyrolyzed carbon with highest electron donating capacity (0.85 mmol/g) promoted the methane generation by 33.3%; while, other pyrolyzed carbon with higher electron accepting capacity and lower electron donating capacity than B4 inhibited the methane generation. The relative abundance of electroactive bacteria and certain methanogens increased with the pyrolysis temperature. The strict linear relationship between electroactive bacteria/certain methanogens and cyclic voltammetry peak currents of paddy soil implied that microbial structure was altered due to the improved the electron transfer situation by the electron shuttle ability of pyrolyzed carbon. This study could deepen our understanding about the effect of pyrolyzed carbon on methanogenesis process.

Background To investigate the relationship between androgen levels and pregnancy outcomes in patients with tubal or male infertility at different times of the in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. Methods Patients with tubal or male infertility but normal androgen levels receiving IVF/ICSI were continuously recruited. We made longitudinal analysis of the testosterone (T) levels at three time points (T0: basal T levels, T1: T levels on the trigger day, T2: T levels on the next day of the trigger day) in three groups with different pregnancy outcomes (Group 1: no pregnancy, Group 2: clinical pregnancy but no live birth, Group 3: live birth) as repeated measurement data using linear mixed effect models. We also plotted fitting curves depicting the relationship of the T levels and the numbers of oocytes retrieved at different time points, and the inflection points of the curves were identified. Results A total of 3012 patients were recruited in the study. Improvements in androgen levels were identified at the three-time points in Group 1 and 3. The slope in Group 3 after refitting was significantly higher than Group 1 (P = 0.000). The curves that reflected the association of androgen levels and numbers of retrieved oocytes presented an upward trend before a certain inflection point, after which the curves had no obvious changes or fell with the increase of androgen levels. The inflection points for T0, T1, T2 were calculated as 0.45, 0.94, 1.09, respectively. Conclusion The faster upward trend of the T levels might be associated with better pregnancy outcomes. Within the range of lower than a certain value of the T levels, more oocytes and embryos could be obtained with the increasing of the T levels.

Background: GnRH-agonist is used to treat adenomyosis, but its efficacy in adenomyosis patients with uterine enlargement undergoing frozen embryo transfer (FET) is unclear. Methods：The retrospective cohort study comprised 112 adenomyosis patients with uterine enlargement undergoing the first FET circle. A long-term GnRH-a pretreatment was administered to 112 patients with uterine enlargement. These patients were divided into two groups according to the therapeutic effect: patients with a normal-size uterus after GnRH-a treatment (GN group) and patients with an enlarged uterus after GnRH-a treatment (GL group). Results：Not all patients can shrink their uterus to a satisfactory level. After receiving GnRH-a pretreatment, the uterus returned to normal size in 77% of patients (GN group), and 23% of patients had a persistently enlarged uterus (GL group). The pregnancy rate, clinical pregnancy rate, ongoing pregnancy rate, and live birth rate were significantly higher in the GN group than in the GL group. Controlling for the confounding factors, normal uterus size (odds ratio [OR] 4.50; P=0.03) and low body mass index (OR 3.13; P=0.03) affected the odds of achieving live birth. The cut-off value selected on the ROC curve of uterus volume after GnRH-a treatment for detecting live birth was 144.7Conclusions：GnRH-a pretreatment was associated with the regression of adenomyosis lesions and improved clinical pregnancy outcomes in the adenomyosis patients with uterine enlargement whose lesion are GnRH-a susceptible on FET cycles. However, about a quarter of patients may not be less responsive to GnRH-a and have poorer pregnancy outcomes, especially in overweight women.

Background and objective: Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD) is not common and fertility outcome is not clear. This study is to report fertility outcomes of infertile male with CBAVD. Material and methods: Our study cohort comprised CBAVD males who were enrolled from 2005 to 2019. Baseline information was collected including mean age, previous medical history, duration of infertility, sex hormone assays, ejaculate volume/pH, parameters of sperm retrieved by percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA), development of seminal vesicle TRUS, follow up fertility outcomes of the patients with Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)and compared the impact of varies male factors on fertility outcomes.Results: 172 participants with CBAVD were analyzed. A total of 211 ICSI cycles were performed and the live birth rate was 46.92%. Among 126 live births, 57 (45.24%) were boy and 69 (54.76%) were girl. The neonatal weight and height are 3036.83 ± 672.17 g, 49.43 ± 2.49 cm, respectively. There were no significant differences between successes group of couples and fail group of couples for first ICSI cycles cases in terms of age (P = 0.09), testicle volume (left P = 0.96, right P = 0.41), sex hormones (P > 0.05), ejaculate volume (P = 0.79), ejaculate pH (P = 0.78) or sperm quality parameters from PESA (P > 0.05). Conclusions: This study indicates that the clinical characteristics of male with CBAVD had no impact on fertility outcomes.

The ability to remotely perform Emotion Recognition in complex scenarios without any particular setup is beneficial to many applications. In recent years, plenty of researchers have proposed some papers related to Emotion Recognition. However, these methods have some limitations. Generally, they must meet the target face richness, have no occlusion, and have consistent lighting. For methods that consider occlusion, imbalanced label distribution, and illumination changes, many strong assumptions about the environment (e.g., remove occluded images, the imbalanced label’s degree is small). This paper proposes an Emotion Recognition method robust to occlusion, imbalanced labels, and user-independent. Specifically, we designed a GAN-based framework to specify labels to generate pictures and restore occluded images, complementing and completing the data manifold. To solve the problem of training instability and provide a reliable training process index, we improved ACGAN. We validate on CK+ and FER2013 datasets, where our approach obtains performance comparable or superior to existing methods.

In this report, a solution-processable cohost system incorporating

Objective Researchers have revealed the combined functions of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNA (miRNAs) in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This study aimed to understand the role of nuclear-enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) and miR-381 involving insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) in PCOS. Methods PCOS rat model was established by dehydroepiandrosterone induction. NEAT1, miR-381 and IGF1 expression in ovarian granulosa cells of PCOS patients and ovarian tissues of PCOS rats were tested. Bioinformatics website and dual luciferase reporter gene assay were utilized to verify the relationship between NEAT1 and miR-381 and that between miR-381 and IGF1. Levels of sex hormone, pathological changes and ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis in ovarian tissues of PCOS rats were detected. Ovarian granulosa cell proliferation and apoptosis were analyzed in vitro. Results NEAT1 and IGF1 expression increased while miR-381 expression decreased in the ovarian granulosa cells of patients with PCOS and the ovarian tissues of PCOS rats. In in vivo experiments, interference with NEAT1 improved the levels of sex hormones, alleviated pathological changes and suppressed ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis in the ovarian tissues of PCOS rats. In in vitro cell experiments, interference with NEAT1 suppressed apoptosis and enhanced cell proliferation of ovarian granulosa cells. NEAT1 interference-mediated effect would be reversed by up-regulating miR-381. NEAT1 acted as a ceRNA to adsorb miR-381 to target IGF1. Overexpression of IGF1 reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-381 on ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis. Conclusion Interference with NEAT1 increases miR-381 and reduces IGF1 levels, effectively improving the levels of sex hormones and reducing the pathological damage of ovarian tissue in rats with PCOS.

The optimization of mobile communication network is an important means to achieve network security operation, and network prediction is the premise of network optimization. Therefore, in mobile network optimization, network prediction and network optimization are two parts that are inseparable. Traditional network prediction and optimization methods can not adapt to the complexity of today’s social networks. In order to adapt the network prediction and optimization methods to the complexity of today’s social networks, the application of big data mining in mobile network prediction and optimization is proposed. The results show that the results obtained by big data mining technology are closer to the true value than the conventional method. Finally, it can be concluded that big data mining has important application value in mobile communication network prediction and optimization, and can achieve better precision and efficiency in the prediction and optimization of mobile communication networks.

Electromechanical actuators (EMAs) have shown a high efficiency in flight surface control with the development of more electric aircraft. In order to identify the abnormalities and potential failures of EMA, a methodology for fault diagnosis is developed. A simulating model of EMA is first built to perform different working states. Based on the modeling of EMA, the corresponding faults are then simulated to re-generate the fault data. Afterwards, a gated recurrent unit (GRU) and co-attention-based fault diagnosis approach is proposed to classify the working states of EMA. Experiments are conducted and a satisfying classification accuracy on simulated data is obtained. Furthermore, fault diagnosis on an actual working system is performed. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method has a high efficiency.

Hyperprolactinemia has long been considered detrimental to fertility due to irregularity of ovulation. Whether mild hyperprolactinemia should be corrected before initiating an in-vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycle (IVF/ICSI) has not been determined; this study aimed to examine how different levels of prolactin affect IVF outcomes. A total of 3,009 patients with basal prolactin level

The structural and photophysical properties of tetradentate Pt(ppzOppz), Pt(ppzOpopy), Pt(ppzOczpy), and Pt(czpyOczpy) have been experimentally and theoretically explored. Single-crystal diffraction measurements provided accurate structural information. Electrochemical and photophysical characterizations revealed internal electronic energy levels in ground and excited states. (Time-dependent) Density functional theory calculation revealed electron distributions in transition processes of S0 → S1 and S1 → T1 → S0. Electronic transition study indicated that Pt(ppzOppz) demonstrated mixed MLCT/LC states and Pt(czpyOczpy) showed MLCT-dominated states in S1 and T1. Both Pt(ppzOpopy) and Pt(ppzOczpy) presented strong delocalized spin transition (DST) during intersystem crossing. Upon frame modification of Pt(ppzOczpy), we found that their S1 and T1 can be independently manipulated. These blue emitters showed a tunable and narrow emission band (the narrowest fwhm was 19 nm) with luminescence efficiency as high a...

Skeletons of phenylquinoline fused cyclic derivatives for electron accepting materials are synthesized and their thermal, electrochemical, photophysical and device optoelectronic properties are fully characterized. Density functional theory simulations coincide with the experimental results, which reveal the core role of the phenylquinolinyl moiety in both intra- and inter-molecular electronic transitions. Due to the high electron accepting capability of the quinolinyl moiety, blends of these compounds with the electron donor material 4,4′,4′′-tris(N-3-methylphenyl-N-phenylamino)triphenylamine form efficient exciplex hosts. Through the utilization of the exciplex hosts, simplified phosphorescent emitting devices with bis(2-phenylquinolinato)(2,4-pentanedionato)iridium [Ir(PQ)2acac] are constructed by the solution process. All of the devices exhibit a high performance ascribed to an efficient energy transfer and balanced charge carriers in the emission zone. External quantum efficiencies of the devices of up to a maximum of 14.1% are achieved and maintain a high level of 9.6–12.2% at 1000 cd m−2 and 6.5–8.2% at 10 000 cd m−2, respectively. The excellent performance of the device with the newly designed acceptor materials is in the top level of Ir(PQ)2acac based phosphorescent devices fabricated by the solution process.

Inorganic cesium lead halide perovskite (CsPbX3, X = Cl, Br, and I) has attracted increasing attention in the field of laser application due to its excellent stability compared to the organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite since affording the radiation of a long pulse pump source requires high thermal stability of the material. However, it is difficult to observe the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) of CsPbBr3 using a one-step solution method due to the low solubility of CsBr in the organic solvent. Herein, we fabricate a CsPbBr3 film with a two-step solution method and realize the ASE under the long pulse pumping. Meanwhile, a CsBr aqueous solution is used as an effective additive to increase the concentration of Cs+ in the precursor solution and then to improve the optical amplification properties of the CsPbBr3 films. The films exhibit better crystalline and enhanced photoluminescence intensity. Both the ASE threshold and gain have been significantly improved. Furthermore, the optimized film shows a satisfying stability of ASE after being placed in the air for more than two months.

Background Inconsistent results according to numerous studies that had investigated the association between serum zinc levels and lung cancer risk were reported. The aim of this study was to explore whether serum zinc levels were lower in lung cancer patients than that in controls. Methods We systematically retrieved the databases of PubMed, Wanfang, Cochrane, ScienceDirect website, CNKI, and SinoMed databases for comprehensive relevant studies published before December 2018 and conducted a meta-analysis. Standard mean differences (SMD) were pooled using a random effects model. Results Thirty-two articles were eligible to investigate the correlation between serum zinc levels and lung cancer risk, involving 2894 cases and 9419 controls. The pooled results showed sufficient evidence approving the association between serum zinc levels and lung cancer risk. And the serum zinc levels in lung cancer were significantly lower than that in controls (summary SMD = − 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) = − 0.94, − 0.82). Meanwhile, consistent results were obtained both in European populations and Asian populations. No publication bias was detected in our analysis. Conclusions The present meta-analysis suggested that serum zinc levels were significantly lower in lung cancer patients than that in controls.

Objective This prospective study aimed to assess the effect of short-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) administration on pregnancy outcomes in frozen–thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles. Methods Patients who planned to have FET in Peking Union Medical College Hospital (China) were recruited for this study and randomly assigned into two groups. Patients in the experimental group (n = 460) received triptorelin acetate on the day of embryo transfer along with routine luteal support. Patients in the control group (n = 433) only received luteal support. One dose (0.1 mg) of a short-acting GnRHa was administered on the day of blastocyte transfer. The rates for clinical pregnancy, biochemical pregnancy, implantation, miscarriage, and ectopic pregnancy were compared between the groups. Results There were no significant differences in the number and quality of blastocytes transferred between the two groups. In the experimental and control groups, the clinical pregnancy rate was 56.3% and 50.58%, the biochemical pregnancy rate was 15.78% and 18.94%, and the median implantation rate was 39.98% and 38.01%, respectively, with no significant difference between the groups. Biochemical pregnancy and abortion and the ectopic pregnancy rate were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion In FET cycles, a GnRHa does not affect the pregnancy outcome.

Excess sludge production from wastewater treatment plants has significantly increased, and sludge disposal has become a serious social and environmental problem. In this study, we constructed a microbial electrochemical hybrid system (MEHS) for simultaneous electricity generation, acid and alkali production, desalination, alkali pretreatment, and degradation of sludge. The alkaline solution generated in the MEHS was used for in situ sludge pretreatment. Owing to the efficiency in alkali pretreatment, a higher sludge degradation efficiency was obtained by the MEHS (Total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) removal efficiency of 57.2%) than by the SMFC (TCOD removal efficiency of 51.7%). Moreover, the MEHS (0.165C) could recover more electricity from the sludge than a traditional single-chamber microbial fuel cell (SMFC, 0.133C). Additionally, the MEHS exhibited excellent performance in desalination (> 50%) and acid production. The system developed in this study provides a new solution for sludge degradation and multifunctional utilization.